Like the PlayStation Portable before it, the PlayStation Vita will reportedly forgo the ability to render Flash content in the browser in exchange for a quick launch.

That's the same trade-off that Sony made with its original PlayStation portable - a device that took almost a year and a half to receive an update which finally added support for the ageing Flash 6 platform.

According to an article published in Japanese gaming weekly Famitsu and spotted by Gamasutra, the Vita will do the same - although hopefully without quite such a major delay.

More worryingly, details have also emerged claiming that many games will require an external memory card to operate - despite the PlayStation Vita including a chunk of internal memory.

The problem becomes apparent when you spot that Sony - ever one to spot an opportunity to nickel-and-dime its customers - has opted to forgo the popular SD card format, as used by Nintendo's rival 3DS hand-held console, in favour of a proprietary format that costs significantly more.

With the Vita launching towards Christmas in Japan and expected to reach UK shores in February, these are facts that fans will likely find disappointing.